Broken Wings can fly
by RexxieRoulette
Summary: After a tragic accident, Annabeth moves to NY with her aunt. Secluded and in pain, she avoids every ounce of social activities she can, other than talking to her friend online. How can she handle starting a new school, meeting new people, and dealing with a series of unfortunate events? Rated T to be safe, might switch to M later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I posted a story a few months ago, but ended up abandoning it. I apologize for that. This is my new story. I have almost gotten over my slump, So I hope to write a chapter every week. You can yell at me if I do not though. I hope you enjoy!**

 **I do not own any of these characters. All are owned by Rick Riordan. The best author ever.**

* * *

Plane rides were nauseating.

At least that's what Annabeth thought as she clutched the armrest, bracing herself during the turbulence. The intricate necklace that sat perfectly between her breasts bounced around at the movement. Her other hand reaching up to hold it in her palm.

" _This is flight 1450 California to New York. We will be landing in a few minutes. Please put your seat belts on and thank you for flying with us."_ The intercom blared out as they steadied from the bouncing. Releasing a sigh, she pulled her phone out and switched the song.

After they landed, she dragged her luggage through the packed airport. Narrowly avoiding a family sprinting by. As she walked she pulled out her headphones and turned on deafening music to keep strangers at bay. Her aunt had texted her before she boarded the plane back in Cali, stating she wouldn't be able to pick her up from the airport due to "work related issues" or some shit.

So Annabeth wandered through the building, getting bumped into and never even looked at twice. She had no real idea where she was going, since the last time she came to visit her aunt, she was like 7. So aimlessly wandering seemed like a prospect she could manage.

Half hour later she emerged from the front doors of the airport, at least she assumed it was the front. A row of bright yellow taxis sat in a row directly in front of her, no doubt waiting for people like her. So she quickly padded over to the neared empty one and got it.

After telling the driver where to go, she leaned back against the seat and let out a sigh.

New York.

 _The city of Lights –_ Or was that Paris? Who knows.

Annabeths phone buzzed, jolting her out of a daze. Looking down she realized it was her aunt calling her, no doubt just remembering that she had landed. 45 minutes ago.

"Annie!"

"Aunt Penny, hi"

"I'm sorry again I couldn't come pick you up when you landed! But I'll be done work in just a few hours, and we can go out to dinner tonight. Sound good?"

Sighing, Annabeth just nodded. Then realizing her aunt couldn't see her recognition, she quickly replied.

"Everyone else is at the house though. So just head over there and get settled in. I'll see you after!" Before she could even inhale to respond, her aunt had hung up the phone. Sighing again, she turned her music back on and faded out for the rest of the ride.

New York. Home sweet home.

* * *

 _Splash_

A flurry of limbs, rapid breathing, and water splashing was the only thing you could see and hear from the pool side. Every now and then, if you really strained your eyes, you could make out a bit of muscle, maybe a facial feature or two.

Tumbling underwater and launching himself off the far wall, Percy emerged from the water, taking a deep breath and slicing through the waves with his pointed arms.

" _5 more feet"_ he thought as his muscles burned and lungs protested the assault.

His fingers gripped the edge of the pool as he caught his breath, yanking off the goggles and pulling himself onto the concrete floor.

Almost beat it.

A few seconds too long.

Had to get better.

His head was spinning as he stood, instantly surrounded by his friends and teammates. Cheers and slaps on the back was all that registered to Percy before he quickly ran to the showers to clear his mind.

" _Not good enough"_

" _You'll never be the best"_

He slammed his fist into the wall as the water poured over him. Engulfing his entire being.

"Hey man, you OK?" Percy nearly slipped as he spun around, hiding his bloody knuckles behind him in a completely casual way. Nico stood at the entrance to the shower room, concern laced his features.

Sighing, Percy just nodded.

* * *

"ANNIE!"

 _Oh god_

With a strained smile, Annabeth turned and greeted her cousin. They weren't very close to begin with, considering they grew up on opposite sides of the country, but Piper always acted like her little sister whenever they saw each other.

"Hey Pipes. How've you been?" Her cousin wasn't much shorter than her, so it was hard to avoid eye contact.

"Really good. And even better now that you're living with us!" She was practically gleaming.

 _I guess she doesn't understand why I'm living here huh?_

"Yeah."

"Gosh I can't wait till I can take you to school tomorrow! It'll be so much fun. You can meet all the girls, and we can hang out with the guys. It'll be great!"

 _Right, cause starting at a new school in the middle of the year wasn't bad enough._

"Listen, Piper. I'd rather just keep to myself and focus on my school work, OK?" Her cousin's smile dropped, but she still nodded.

"I'm sorry Annabeth, but you'll be staying in the attic for right now. At least until Jake goes away to college this fall. Sound alright?" Turning slightly, she just nodded at her uncle before grabbing her stuff and stalking into the house.

 _Home sweet home._

After spending an hour arranging her stuff around the room, Annabeth pulled out her phone and searched up nearby places.

Dunkin Donuts – 1.5m away

Starbucks – 0.6m away

Aqua Delight – 0.2m away

 _The hell is Aqua Delight?_

Sighing, she just grabbed her headphones and headed downstairs.

"Hey uncle, I'm gonna go grab some coffee and wander around the neighborhood a bit. I'll be back in 2 hours, OK?" He just nodded, not looking up from his computer.

The surrounding area was nice, considering where she was. As she stalked to the weirdly named cafe, she flooded her head with blasting music and avoided eye contact with every stranger on the street. Before her third song ended, she was standing in front of the cafe.

Everything was blue.

Like seriously. _Everything_ was blue.

As she walked inside, the overwhelming aroma of pastries filled her senses. Not 5 feet in front of her were 3 huge display cases, showing off desserts. All of which were tinted blue. Along the back wall were posters, and retro signs. Light fixtures from the 60s and 70s hung along the walls. It was like this place tried to be modern but retro all at once. It was a lot to take in.

"Good afternoon! How may I help you?"

Looking around, Annabeth finally noticed the older looking lady sitting behind one of the tall cases.

"Uh, can I have a large coffee and a toasted bagel please?" The lady behind the counter nodded and gestured for Annabeth to sit. Turning, she spotted a comfy looking armchair tucked away in the far corner. As she made her way over, she realized just how empty the place was.

"There's a swim meet tonight. Everyone's at the school cheering on our boys" looking down at her watch, she smiled. "It actually just finished, so this place will get busy soon. Enjoy"

Annabeth just nodded her thanks and went back to her journal.

The lady wasn't wrong. Within 30 minutes the cafe was swamped with teenagers. Many people stopped and stared at her, but never came to talk. Everyone was laughing and cheering. There were a group of guys in the middle of the pack, all wearing sports hoodies.

 _The swimmers I assume._

"Can I get you any more coffee my dear?" the older lady asked, startling Annabeth.

"Uh, no. I'm OK. Is it ok if I just sit here for a little longer? I want to finish something."

"Yeah, by all means" the lady nodded, smiling. "Are you new here? I've never seen you around."

"Oh. I just moved here from California. I live with my aunt and uncle down the road" she pointed out the window to her left.

"Well then, welcome! I hope you enjoy staying here. I assume you'll be going to Goode, so I'll tell my boys to take care of you, alright?" the lady pointed at the group of swimmers, some of which were watching them.

"No, it's ok. I'm fine on my own, thank you though. And thank you for the coffee." The lady just smiled and nodded.

"Hey mom, is it ok if Jason stays the night? His dad is..." Annabeth didn't even notice him walk up.

Turning, the older woman just nodded, patting him – her son – on the shoulder and heading back to the counter.

"Hey, you're new here right?"

Annabeth didn't bother looking up, just nodded and sipped the remaining coffee in her cup.

"Well hi. I'm Percy. Captain of the swim team, and school heartthrob." She didn't need to look up to know he was smirking.

"That's nice."

"That's..nice?"

"Is it not nice?"

"Well I mean, I don't know. Most girls love that line."

Sighing, Annabeth finally tilted her head up to look at him. The first thing she noticed was his eyes. Sea green and so fucking beautiful. Even with the mischievous glint in them. His shaggy black hair was a mess, clearly still drying. Rolling her eyes, she just looked back down at her book and kept writing.

Scoffing, Percy just turned and strode away.

Gathering her stuff up, Annabeth headed for the counter to pay for her drinks and spotted someone watching her. He was tall – taller than that Percy guy – and his short blond hair was a lot more tamed than his as well. Electric blue eyes bore into her, making her micromanage every movement she made.

 _He looks so familiar. Where have I seen him before?_

"Jase quit staring. You'll give her a panic attack." A girl walked up behind the boy and smacked him upside the head. With the eye contact broken, Annabeth inhaled sharply and hurried over to the desk to pay.

Without looking back, she bolted out of the cafe and went straight home.

* * *

Percy was watching her long before his mom went over to talk. It was the perfect excuse to introduce himself. Gaining the courage, he be-lined over to where his mom stood and let out a breath.

"Hey mom, is it ok if Jason stays the night? His dad is..."

She didn't even look up when he walked over. Maybe she had headphones in and couldn't hear him?

Turning, his mom just smiled and nodded, walking away.

"Hey, you're new here right?"

The girl didn't even look up, just nodded and sipped the remaining fluid in her cup.

Licking his lips, he continued,"well hi. I'm Percy. Captain of the swim team, and school heartthrob." He threw on his signature smirk and watched her. She remained staring at the book in her hands.

"That's nice." _What_

"That's..nice?"

"Is it not nice?" _This girl is something else_

"Well I mean, I don't know. Most girls love that line."

She finally looked up at him.

 _Holy shit_

The first thing he noticed were her eyes. Beautiful, stormy grey eyes bore into him. He couldn't read what emotion was floating around in them though. Her curly blond hair was framing her face, making her eyes even brighter. Rolling her eyes, she just looked back down at her book.

Scoffing, Percy just shook his head and turned on his heel.

 _What is up with her?_

As he made his way over to the guys, his mind couldn't get away from that expression in her eyes.

 _Her eyes_

 _Those eyes were so beautiful_

"Who were you talking to?" It was Jason who asked, but everyone was waiting for the answer.

"I don't know. She didn't tell me her name." Sighing, he just pulled out his phone and texted Nico.

 **Do you know if we have any new students enrolling? - P**

Within minutes he got his reply.

 **Yeah, a new girl starts tomorrow. Piper's cousin apparently. - N**

"She's related to Piper McLean." Everyone just nodded.

Jason didn't ask anything more. As Percy looked up from his phone, he realized why.

Jason was staring at her. The new girl. Her back was to them as she made her way over to the counter to pay. No doubt leaving because of their encounter. Scoffing, he continued to watch. Something shifted in her movements as she turned and stared at Jason.

"Jase quit staring. You'll give her a panic attack" Taliyah said as she slapped him upside the head. He grabbed his injury and pouted to his sister, sticking out his tongue as she laughed at him.

Percy spotted a blur of blond and caught a glimpse of her as she bolted out the door.

Annabeth hurried inside and went straight to her room. Ignoring the hellos from her uncle and cousins. She threw herself on her bed and buried her face in the pillows.

Who was he?

Why was he staring at her?

 **Beep beep**

Her phone chimed, signaling she got a message. Pulling it out of her pocket, she smiled and unlocked it.

 **I swear I'm going insane. But I think I saw your doppelganger – Lightningkid**

 **What do you mean by that? - Wisegirl**

 **There was this girl that looked exactly like you at this coffee shop I was at with the boys – Lightningkid**

 **Weird. - Wisegirl**

 **I know right?! You live in Cali, how could you be here in NY randomly? XP – Lightningkid**

 _New York?_

 **Must've been a mistake. I gotta go though, school tomorrow. - Wisegirl**

 **Same same, early practice in the morning. Goodnight! - Lightningkid**

Sighing, Annabeth threw down her phone and buried her face in the pillow again.

Was it him?

Did she really manage to go to the exact same cafe as him on her first day in the same city?

What a bunch of crap.

Groaning, Annabeth just set her alarm and turned off the lights.

 _Tomorrow is gonna be a long day._

* * *

 **What do you think? Good? Bad? Should I stop writing in general? Let me know. Please Read and Review!**

 **On a side note though, you guys should definitely need to listen to Round and Round by Heize. It's a part of the OST for Goblin. A new kdrama. It's the most beautiful song I've ever head. You'll love it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again my friends. So this is a disclaimer! This story delves into dark desires and pretty dark topics. I've changed the rating to M for safe keeping, but if you are easily triggered, or easily offended. Please do not read. I promise it won't be like this all the time, as I to love Percabeth fluff. But every story has parts you hate, right? Don't hate me!**

 **All characters belong to Rick Riordan. I just love them enough to write a story about them.**

* * *

 _High school sucks_

Sighing, Annabeth turned on her music and made her way up the steps to her new hell. She had gotten her schedule the week before, and her locker number. The school wasn't huge, so it wouldn't be too difficult to find her way around.

The halls were crowded, students bustling about, talking to their friends. There wasn't a dress code, so Annabeth could wear her black skinnies and AHS shirt without a problem. She had straightened her hair this morning and put on one of her beanies, helping her headphones stay in and avoid human contact.

People glanced at her, but never made an attempt to talk. She didn't mind. Within 5 minutes she found her locker, and opened it was ease. Disposing her heavy books, she pulled out the only one she needed that morning and headed to her homeroom.

As she entered the room, she mentally prepared herself for the staring. Everyone stared at the new kid. It wasn't something you just didn't do.

And everyone stared.

20 pairs of eyes watched her as she took a deep breath and head to wear the teacher sat.

"Hi, my name is Annabeth. I'm new here." She said to the teacher. He was an older man, bound to a wheelchair. _"Wonder what happened?"_ She thought to herself and he turned to smile at her.

"Yes, I've heard we were getting a new student. My name is Mr. Chiron. You can call me Mr. C, or Chiron. Whichever you prefer." She just nodded as he pulled away from the desk and cleared his throat. "Class! We have a new student that will be joining our class from now on. Please welcome her."

 _Shit_

 _Breathe_

"Uh, hi. My name is Annabeth. I just moved here from California." She avoided eye contact, and cut her teacher another look before heading to her desk. People watched her walk. Watched her sit down. It was like she had a giant sign on top of her saying "LOOK AT THE NEW KID!"

As her teacher began the rundown of the latest project they were doing, Annabeth spaced out and put her music back on. The remainder of the period was spent writing in her notebook and listening to music. No one tried to talk to her. Not like it mattered.

Her phone buzzed with a message.

 **School is so boring. Why do I need an education? - Lightningkid**

Smiling, she typed out her response. **Because you can't survive in life on just good looks xD – Wisegirl**

 **Are you implying I have good looks? ;) - Lightningkid**

 **Not at all. - Wisegirl**

Annabeth was walking in the direction of her second period class when two guys came sprinting out of the mens bathroom and narrowly missed her.

Well, the first one narrowly missed her.

The second one bumped into her so hard, she hit the floor with a loud thud. Pain shot up her right shoulder as she tried to hold her own weight up.

"Oh my god! Jason! Why'd you hit her?" Boy #1 was freaking out, his voice oddly familiar. Shifting around and wincing from pain, Annabeth leaned against the nearby wall and looked at the two boys who caused this problem.

Percy.

...And the blond guy from last night?

"You're the one who stole my phone, jack ass! Give it back." Boy #2 – Jason was his name – extended his hand to the other one.

"I only stole it cause I was wondering who you were smiling at" Percy replied, smirking. Jason snatched his phone from the other boy and stormed off.

Still leaning against the wall, holding her shoulder, Annabeth just watched. Debating whether she should go to class or the nurse. Percy turned to her and looked down, finally paying attention to the girl they ran over with their horsing around.

"Hey, Annabeth right?"

Groaning in response, she tried to move. Another jolt of pain flared up as she clenched her jaw.

"Are you ok? Do you need me to take you to the nurse?" She didn't respond again, just closed her eyes and nodded. As he stepped forward and leaned down, she caught his eye contact once again.

Those eyes were so beautiful. So green, but not completely green.

 _That doesn't make any sense Annabeth. Stop looking at them now!_

Grunting again, she moved to stand up and braced herself for the pain. Percy's hands shot out and tucked under her left arm, snaking his arm around her back to hold her weight.

"On the count of 3, we'll stand up and start walking, ok? Tell me, or signal me if its too much and we'll stop. Sound good?" She just nodded in response and he counted down. Pain flared up again as they rose, but not as bad as before. Percy's body was warm against her slender frame, and even though he towered over her, his arm fit around Annabeth with ease.

After walking in silence for a few minutes, Annabeth finally opened her mouth to talk.

"Thank you."

Percy looked down at her sideways, and smirked. "No problem. Least I could do since I kinda caused this." His smirk switched to an embarrassed smile, but never took his eyes off her.

"So where did you move here from?"

Sighing, Annabeth just looked away.

"Uh, sorry."

"I moved here from California. Something.. uh. Something happened and I had to move here." Percy just nodded, not saying anything more as they headed for the nurses office.

After helping her get up on the bed and lay down, Percy bid farewell and walked out. Annabeth just watched him go, not saying a word.

The nurse told her to take a break and rest, she would wake her up before her next period class. Allowing the painkillers to take their effect, she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

The last thing she remembered before darkness was those beautiful green eyes staring back at her.

* * *

 _God her eyes were so pretty_

Shaking his head, Percy just smirked and headed to class. The nurse gave him a late slip in case his teacher gave him a hard time. The phantom body of hers still stayed at his side as he walked. Fully aware of his smile, he cleared his throat and walked into class. Handing over the slip, he tread over to his desk and sat.

"What took you so long?" Jason asked from behind him, quietly so their teacher wouldn't notice.

"I took Annabeth to the nurse, since you stormed after hurting her, jack ass."

"Her name is Annabeth?" Smirking again, Percy just nodded.

"And yes, before you ask, she's fine. When you pushed her, she landed on her shoulder funny." Percy heard the sharp intake of breath from his friend, but couldn't glance back to see why.

"Is that her?" It was barely a whisper, Percy hardly heard it. But couldn't bring himself to ask what his friend meant.

Class ended and before Jason could catch up, Percy took off to the nurses office. As he strode in the door, he stopped dead when he heard voices from inside.

" _Are you sure you're ok?"_ It was the nurses voice.

" _I'm fine. I knew it was a bad idea to rest."_ Annabeth's voice was cold and distant. Was something wrong?

" _Those marks on your arm prove otherwise Ms. Chase. I think you should see the counselor."_

 _What marks?_

Foot steps approached and Percy scrambled to look natural. As Annabeth bursted into the room, she stopped dead as she noticed him.

"What are you doing here?" Her words were cool like knives.

"I uh, wanted to check on you. And see if you needed help getting to your next class.." He smiled weakly.

"No." She strode off without letting him reply, leaving him alone in the office.

Percy head to his next class, not talking to anyone along the way. Girls always tried to stop and talk to him, but they just sounded like rats in his current state of mind.

" _Those marks on your arm prove otherwise Ms. Chase"_ That's what the nurse had said. But what marks was she talking about? Why did Annabeth look so angry too? What was going on.

"PERCY!" Jumping, Percy spun around to find Rachel staring at him from down the hall. Her face was redder than her hair, more than likely from yelling. Sighing, Percy just raised a hand to wave her off and turned back around.

"Why are you ignoring Rachel? Did she flirt with someone else again?" Percy hadn't noticed Nico walk up beside him till he spoke.

"Huh? Oh, no reason. Just don't feel like talking." Nico looked up to scan his features, but his stoic expression revealed nothing.

"You're ignoring your girlfriend for no reason?" Nico's face was almost surprised.

"She's not my girlfriend man. You know that." They neared his class, so he spun to bid farewell to his friend.

* * *

"Annabeth!"

Not bothering to turn and greet her cousin, Annabeth kept walking.

"Hey! So are you coming tonight?" Piper said, falling in step beside Annabeth.

"No. I'm just going to stay at the house." Her cousin whimpered in response, but didn't pester. They continued to walk together until they reached the front of the school, where Pipers boyfriend stood waiting.

….The blond boy who ran into her.

Was Piper's boyfriend.

"Baby!" Her cousin practically leapt down the stairs into the arms of her beau.

"Hey Piper, how was your day?" Blond boy said.

" _His name is Jason you dimwit."_ Scolding herself and grabbing her headphones, Annabeth just said farewell and head in the direction of her cousins house.

A few hours and 4 cups of coffee later, Annabeth was still sitting in front of her laptop screen, staring blankly at the empty page. Her English assignment was simple. An essay about Greek mythology. She'd studied this stuff for years now. Knew every story and secret like she knew her own last name. But nothing came to mind.

Ab-so-lut-ely NOTHING!

She slammed her laptop closed and sighed.

 _Buzz buzz_

Her phone vibrated beside her.

 **What's the appeal of getting drunk and making out with people you don't even know? - L**

Smiling, Annabeth shook her head and typed out a response.

 **Someone doesn't like to have fun huh? - W**

 **This isn't really _fun._ Be more fun if you were here though. - L**

 **Don't you have a girlfriend pretty boy? - W**

 **I meant that totally platonically. I swear. I just wish I had someone not drunk to talk to here. - L**

 **Well I have homework, so have fun party pooper. Goodnight – W**

Sighing again, Annabeth tossed her phone on the bed and started pacing.

"You shouldn't be so stressed out. It'll make you get wrinkles." Annabeth jumped at the sound of someones voice at her door.

Jake stood at the base of the steps leading to her room.

"Oh uh, hey Jake. What's up?" She stammered out, sitting on the edge of her bed.

Jake stalked into the room, taking in every little detail. His long legs made quick work of the steps, and as he emerged in front of her, she just inhaled sharply.

"I was just, getting _acquainted_ with our new housemate." He purred, extending a finger to caress the side of Annabeths face. She flinched from the initial touch, but quickly stifled her disgust and remained calm.

"I think you need to leave Jake. Now." Her voice was calmer than her heart portrayed. Hammering against her chest like a war drum on a hunt.

"I don't think I need to go anywhere." His eyes lit with a playful amusement as his hand reached around and cupped the back of her head, bringing his lips to meet hers in a painful, forced kiss.

She tried to pull away, to fight, but the movements got diminished by his larger frame. But she kept fighting. Managing to bite down on his lip, he pulled away with a bloody mouth. Giving her precious seconds to retreat away from his grasp and launch herself to the corner of her bed. Smirking as he smeared the blood on the back of his hand, Jake just surged forward. Grasping her ankles, she fiercely kicked out but with no success. His hands around her ankles jerked her body forward, splaying her body flat on the bed. Within a second he was on top of her, pinning her frail body under his larger one.

"W-What are you doing!" She tried to scream, but he quickly kissed her again, sufficiently shutting up her protests. As he pulled away again, he simply leaned down and whispered in her ear. Her whole body stiffened.

"No ones home _Annie_. No one will hear you scream."

* * *

 **Again, please don't hate me. I would like to disclaim that this story is loosely based on my life. Events that happened in this story have indeed happened in my life. So I'd appreciate some not to harsh reviews. Again, if you don't like the story, stop now. I'm not saying it gets worse, but it will stay around topics like these throughout the entire thing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! I'm so very sorry about the late upload. Life has been pretty hectic on me for the past little while. But I'm staying strong, and writing it out. Anywho. This chapter is a tad dark, I promise it will not stay this way at all. Just need some build up. Please don't hate me. Anyway, If you have any ideas you would like me to incorporate, please write them in reviews or PM me! Hope you enjoy.**

 **All characters owned by Rick Riordan!**

* * *

Do you know what happens to the mind when you go through pain repeatedly?

It goes numb.

This was my bliss. _The numbness_.

The calm between the storm of pain and turmoil where my mind could just say _fuck it._

This went on for weeks. No one noticed my miniscule amounts of conversation, minimal effort for activities outside of school and drawing. To be fair though, I hadn't really put much effort in before it all happened anyway.

Maybe this was just meant to be?

Mom dying, then this.

Maybe this is gods way of saying I shouldn't be alive today.

Maybe I should do something about it.

* * *

He strode through the halls of school aimlessly. It had been weeks since Annabeth had said a word to him.

Had he really pissed her off that much?

Every time he saw her, she looked a little more distant.

A little more broken.

Spring was in full bloom and the temperature was peaking at mid 80s lately, yet she still wore the same 3 long sleeve shirts, and jeans.

His phone beeping from a text brought Percy out of his trance.

 **We going to Aqua tonight? - N**

Sighing, Percy just locked his phone and put it away. Socializing was becoming too straining on his mental health. Especially with his previous step father coming back into the picture.

Gabe apparently wants to "help out" now. Even though his mom has Paul now, Gabe still wants to be there for Percys swimming.

 _Like it did a whole lot before._

"Hey, did you get my text?" He didn't even notice Nico walk up and fall in step beside him.

"Yeah. I did. I don't think I can go tonight, sorry." He shrugged out his response and kept walking.

"You haven't done anything with the guys in weeks Perce. Whats going on?" Nico's voice wasn't raised, but definitely carried a lot of concern.

Sighing, Percy turned to his friend and shrugged again. He turned back to walk away when Nico spoke again.

"Is it Gabe?"

"Nothing is going on Nico. Leave it alone." Percy turned again and strode off.

Soaring through the clear water always made him feel invincible. Like nothing would ever hurt him inside his paradise. His mind was clear. His body was alive. His heart unburdened.

As his hand reached out to touch the wall, his paradise crumbled around him.

"That was 4 seconds later than the last time Jackson. Stop playing around and actually try this time!" The shouts from his ex-step dad rang loud enough to penetrate his waterlogged ears. He usually yelled whenever Percy didn't perform to his unrealistic standards. Most of the time Percy just endured it. Lately though, the words stung deeper, the feeling lasting longer.

"Earth to the fucking space cadet! God. You're mother shouldn't have wasted money on those intensive swimming lessons." Gabe's voice rang out again, raising an octave as he spoke of Percy's mother.

"Sorry."

" _Sorry_ isn't going to fucking win you the championship. Idiot."

Percy's shoulders sagged a little at the insult, but he continued on with his drills as Gabe continuously belted out more names to call him. An hour had passed when he finally gave up and stormed off. As Percy pulled his body out of the pool, his arms shook from the overexertion.

A pair of hands reached out and steadied his shaky ones, helping him out of the pool.

Jason.

"You ok man?" Percy just nodded, reaching for his towel. He was about to walk over to the showers when Jason spoke again.

"When was the last time you ate something Percy?"

"Before practice. I had a banana."

"I mean a full meal dude. When did it start up again?"

"When did what?" Percy turned to see Jason eying him. Though he couldn't read the emotions in his eyes, he knew his friend wasn't mad.

"Don't play dumb with me dude, seriously. When did you start counting again?"

 _Shit_

"I don't know what you're talking about Jason. I'm over that." Turning again, Percy started walking away.

"As an athlete, you need more in your system then a measly 50 calories Percy!" Percy spun on his heel.

"Its 89 calories dammit!" His voice echoed off the walls of the gym, bouncing back at him in muffled tones. "Oh god.." Percy's knees shook as he realized what he said.

Jason stepped forward, hands out, like he was approaching a wild animal.

"Percy, hey. Look at me." As realization dawned on Percy, his mind began to shatter. Clutching his temples, he fell to the floor on his knees and began rocking.

Then the world went black.

* * *

" _I don't know what happened Ms. Jackson! He was fine one second, then he was on his knees rocking back and forth."_

" _Is he ok?"_

" _He's fine, I think. But I'm pretty its back."_

" _What is?"_

" _His eating disorder ma'am." Jason sighed. "I think Percy's counting again."_

* * *

Percy awoke in a hospital bed, tubes coming from basically everywhere on his body. Everything hurt. His head, his stomach. His mind was a jumbled mess of goo. As he scanned the room he noticed one thing.

 _No one was here._

Not even his mother was sitting beside him. Percy struggled to sit up, but groaned at the movement. He laid back down right as a doctor walked in.

"Oh, you're awake. Hi Percy, my name is Dr. Hades. But you can call me Dr. H if you prefer." The doctor scanned the clip board at the end of Percy's bed for a few moments before looking up and smiling. "Looks like you just had a minor case of exhaustion. Very common in young athletes I assure you, everything is fine. You can be back in the pool within a few days."

Though the words sounded sincere to Percy, something set him of.

"Wheres my mom?" The doctor smiled, and just opened his hands out to him.

"I'm sure she'll be here soon. She hasn't left your side since you arrived. I can page her if you want?" Percy nodded, not trusting his scratchy throat to produce words.

The doctor left, and within 10 minutes Sally burst through the door, flinging herself at Percy. Paul not very far in pursuit, just nodded and pulled up a chair.

"Percy, oh my god. Don't ever do that again young man! You scared us half to death." His mothers words were hectic, but he still smiled at her and nodded.

They asked a few questions, he asked a few questions in return. Turns out he'd been passed out for almost 2 days. As he learned more about what happened, Percy began to wonder where he really was. His friends weren't here, no cards or flowers either. He wasn't the most loved person at school, but people would've had to know about this, right?

"Mom, where am I really?"

Sally sighed, glancing at her husband before turning back to Percy with a forced smile. "You're somewhere safe. Somewhere that can help you."

"Help me? I don't need help." Percy sat up straighter, reaching for the tubes running into his veins.

"You do though baby." His moms voice broke, tears began to flow. "You're sick Percy. And this place will make you better."

"I don't need to get better! I'm perfectly fine!" Percy shouted as his parents. Ripping the stuff from his arms, he stood up with wobbly legs. As he turned to reach for the door, the doctor from earlier appeared with two nurses in tow.

"Percy. You need to calm down. We're here to help."

A pinch on his side from an injection was the last thing he remembered before once again, the world around him went black.

* * *

A week had gone by and Annabeth hadn't seen Percy in class once. Even with her constant retreating back into herself, she couldn't shake the feeling of being around him. Things felt, lighter. They hadn't talked much since the start of the incident. Granted, she hasn't talked to anyone since that started. And that was over a month ago.

"The incident", or so Annabeth has been calling it, was her nightly visits from Jake. Always near the same time, always saying the same thing.

" _No ones home Annie. No one will hear you scream."_ After awhile she didn't scream. She didn't say anything. Didn't do anything. Just lay there and took it. " _No point crying about something you can't change"_ she would think to herself as her blade slid across her ivory skin. Week after week, the vast amount of cuts grew in numbers. Little and unnoticeable at first. But lately Annabeth wasn't being careful. She'd push deeper, cut longer, bleed more. She'd keep going till she was woozy and unable to stand on her own. Then she'd fall into bed and forget everything in the world.

Or so she hoped.

Day after day, she would wake up with incredible pain on her body, and the bruises from Jake's not-so-gentle intrusions. No one knew about what was going on.

" _Not like anyone would care Annabeth. No one likes you anyway._ " Scoffing at her thoughts, Annabeth began her daily routine at the top of the stairwell at school. It was a secluded area, not many people knew about its existence.

Actually only one person had known, to her knowledge.

Percy.

 _Percy had walked up on her during her daily routine. He never said a word about it, just started talking like she wasn't wielding a sharp object over her skin. He didn't even ask if she was ok or not. He was just, there. The conversation was light, talking about school and friends. As he was leaving, he turned and leaned down, grasped her wrist in his hand, and planted a soft kiss along the scarred skin. Then he turned on his heel and left._

Shaking her head from the memory, she rolled up her sleeves and pulled out her razor, counting down from 3, she drove deep and long. Start across her pale wrist. Blood welled up instantly, pouring from the wound with no prevail. A little voice inside her head went alert, trying to convince Annabeth that this wasn't normal. The cuts never bled this much.

The warning bells triggered loud in her mind as Annabeth stood up, slightly lightheaded, and made her way down the stairs. As she neared the bottom, black dots danced in her vision. She couldn't talk, couldn't make a sound. Sounds required energy, which she was completely drained of. Each foot step felt like she had cinder blocks straped to the bottom of her shoes.

The darkness finally enveloped Annabeth as she hit the bottom and tripped.

The last thing she remembered was an ear piercing scream.

* * *

" _The blood transfusion was successful. Now we wait."_

" _Wait for what?"_

" _Wait to see if she wants to live or not."_

Annabeth awoke to blinding white light, the beeping of machines around her, and the soft voices of people off to the left of her. She groaned and moved slightly, yelping at the tug of tubes in her veins that she hadn't noticed before.

"Hey sweetie. Relax. We're at the hospital. Do you remember what happened?" Her aunt asked, leaning down to pat Annabeths head. Piper and her uncle were behind, looking grim. Only Jake was still sitting, a smug grin on his face.

"I'm fine. Let me go." She pulled away from her aunts touch, groaning from the pull of the tubes again.

"Annabeth, you can't go." Her head shot to her aunt.

"What do you mean I can't go? You can't just keep me prisoner here."

"Hello Ms. Chase. I'm going to need you to calm down please. We're here to help." A voice from the doorway spoke, pulling Annabeths attention from her aunt.

"Who are you?" She sat up this time.

"I'm Dr. Hades, but you can call me Dr. H if you prefer."

"I'd rather not call you anything." He smiled at her remark, but showed no sign of it affecting him.

"You're going to be staying here for awhile, till we get you all better. How's that sound?" She scoffed at his words, but realization dawned on her.

"I can't stay here. I have school. Friends."

"The school will send you homework, that's no big deal. As for your friends, well they can come drop by." He was still smiling at her.

Shaking her head, Annabeth just screamed. A nurse stepped forward and poked a syringe into her thigh. Her vision began to fade as she heard her aunt crying.

She awoke a few hours later, alone in her room. She sat up, groaning, and began to lift herself up on her feet. She had spotted a few clothes on the chair where her aunt had been sitting. As she changed, she noticed the bandage wrapped around her wrist. It was stained pink from blood, but no other signs of what happened appeared.

Changing into her clothes, Annabeth stopped to wash her face in the adjoined washroom before heading out of the room.

Everything was white. White with sickly green and crusty blue accents that did not match or go well with eachother one bit. People were bustling around, paying no attention to her. Eying the signs, Annabeth head in the direction of the mess hall, assuming someone in charge would be there to help her get out of here. Crossing her arms, she ducked her head down and sped in the direction.

Right into someones chest.

"Ow" was all she said before looking up.

Into sea green eyes.

"Percy?!"

* * *

 **How was it? I know, kinda sucky and pretty dark. Thing sadly need to build up though. On a lighter note. When I was hospitalized, I met my bestfriend in there. He's amazing, and one of the reasons I'm alive right now.**

 **Also I'm a bit curious, any fans of the story also like kpop? I happen to revolve my life around it lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy, if you can. Sorry again for the late update!**


End file.
